Means for cooling oil



Aug. 30, 1932. A. M. NIVEN MEANS FOR COOLING OIL Original Filed July 27. 1927 I llllllllllll r ATTO N EY Patented Aug. 30, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARCHIE MACPHAII: NIVEN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO CONTINENTAL MOTORS CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA MEANS FOR COOLING OIL Original application filed July 27, 1927, Serial No. 208,719. Divided and this application filed Royember 7, 1929. Serial no. 405,480.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and refers more particularly to means for cooling the lubricating oil for the working parts of the engine.

E It is an object of my invention to provide apparatus whereby the lubricating oil may be cooled by air supplied to the engine carburetor. By cooling the oil the working parts of the engine will be lubricated more ciliciently and also the useful life of the oil will be prolonged. At the same time my invention provides means for heating the air supplied to the carburetor, the heat being derived from the oil by a heat exchange apparatus. By such apparatus the cost of running the engine is reduced and the general operating efficiency thereof increased.

By utilizing the air supplied to the engine as the medium for cooling the oil the amount of cooling is in proportion to the engine throttle opening and hence under conditions of increasing engine speed or increasing power generated the resulting increasing quantity of air supplied to the engine will automatically oppose the tendency toward undesirable increase in the temperature of the oil.

My invention may be in the nature of a simply constructed attachment for engines and may be manufactured quite cheaply. When desired my invention may include, in addition to the oil cooling device an air cleaner and a carburetor silencer as will be hereinafter described.

This application is a division of my copending application, serial number 208,719, filed July 27, 1927, whichhas subsequently issued as Patent Number 1,855,308.

With the above and other objects in view my invention further resides in the novel combination and arrangement of parts more particularly hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which is made a part hereof and in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of an engine showing my invention applied thereto,

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation view through the heat exchange device and assoc1ated parts,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the heat exchange device through 3--3 of Fi 1, and

Fi ure 4 is a diagrammatic view 0 a modified orm of m invention.

In the drawmg reference character A represents an internal combustion engine having the intake manifold 10 and carburetor 11, which parts may be of the ordinary or other preferred construction.

Connected with the air intake 12 of the carburetor is a casing B which may consist of the air discharge end 13 and an enlarged end 14 connected through an intermediate tapering portion 15. Within the casing B is formed a header or heat exchange device C illustratedas comprising end plates 16, 17 connected by air conducting tubes 18. The tubes 18 may be of greater diameter in one direction than another in order to present efficient heat transfer surfaces between the oil and air as will be presently understood, adjacent tubes may also be oppositely inclined and staggered. The engine lubricating oil ordinarily circulated under pressure from the crank case supply to the engine parts is caused to pass through the heat exchange device C. Thus the usual oil pump 19 may be utilized to force the oil under pressure from crank case 20 and conduit 21 to the heat exchange supply line 22 and inlet 23 whence the oil is spread in a film over the uppermost air tube 18. By referring to Fig. 3 it will be apparent that the oil in passing from the inlet 23 to the outlet 24 will flow across the successive intervening tubes 18 in a zig zag fashion the tubes in effect acting as baf fles because of their staggered relation. During the course of travel of the oil the air sucked through tubes 18 by the engine acting through manifold 10 and carburetor 11 will absorb sufficient heat from the oil to accomplish the objects in View. Not only will the oil temperature be reduced and kept within desirable limits so as to prevent premature deterioration of the oil and inefficient lubrication, but furthermore the heat given up by the oil is not wasted but is utilized in heating the air supplied for the fuel mixture tending to more readily vaporize the fuel and generally better the engine performance. Thus this feature of my invention is especially useful with the present day fuels of relatively low volatility or with the so called liquid fuels. In certain cases it may be found desirable to pass the fuel through the heat exchange device instead of the air as will be readily understood, thus effecting cooling of the 011 and heating of the fuel for rendering the latter more volatile. The outlet 24 is connected with the usual oil pressure feed line 25 leading to the parts of the engine to be lubricated.

If desired the casing B may contain air cleaning means such as air filter screens 26. One convenient form of this feature of my invention is shown in Fig. 2, the screens 26 being spaced to receive suitable material such as aluminum chips 27 which will silence the tendency of the carburetor to sing or become otherwise noisy due to the rush of air. I desire it to be understood that the air filter and carburetor silencer features of my invention may be omitted if desired since obviously the oil cooling device will function equally well without these features. The whole assembly of the oil cooler, air filter, and carburetor silencer where desired, may be constructed cheaply from metal stampings with soldered, or welded joints for the air tubes 18 and end plates 16, 17.

In Fig. 4 the oil pump 19* is arranged to produce a suction of the oil from the crank case supply line 21 and heat exchange device C, whence the cooled oil may pass as before to the pressure line 25. Also, if desired, a" by-pass 28 may be provided around the heat exchange device C, suitably controlled as by the two-way valves, 29, so that in very cold weather, for example, the oil may be passed directly from the crank case to the engine parts to be lubricated. Such a by-pass may, of course. also be incorporated with the system shown in Fig. 1. The valve or valves 29 might be operated by mechanism under control at the automobile dash where the system is used in automotive vehicles.

My invention is especially useful in engines operating under relatively great load or relatively high temperatures as in busses, trucks, and stationary engines operating for long periods of time. During the summer months it is particularly desirable that the oil temperature be kept down. However my invention will be found desirable under general operating conditions of engines of various types. In relatively cold weather the heat absorbed by the fuel mixture air will better the all round performance of the engine. If desired the valves 29 may be adjusted to open the by-pass 28 (where the by-pass is included in the system) for cold weather engine starting, and after the engine and oil are brought up to operating temperat re $1. 9

valves 29 may be closed to pass the oil throu h p the heat exchange device to obtain the bone t of the air heating feature even though the oil temperature be not excessive.

It is desirable to proportion the combined ing medium, said casing having a reducedtapered portion defining a chamber and communicating with the cooling medium conducting means, and filter means within said reduced ta ered portion' for cleaning the cooling me ium subsequent to the heat transfer operation.

2. A heat exchange device adapted for use with a lubricating system of an internal combustion engine and comprising, a casing provided with an oil compartment at one end having inlet and outlet openings, means for conducting air through said compartment for efiectin a heat transfer between the oil and air, an means within said casing for cleaning the air subsequent to the heat transfer operation.

3. A heat exchange device adapted for use with a lubricating system of an internal com bustion engine and comprising, a casing provided with an oil compartment at one end having inlet and outlet openings, means for conducting air through said compartment for effecting a heat transfer between the oil and air, means within said casing for cleaning the air, and means within the casing for silencing the noise tending to be produced by the air as the same flows through said heat exchange device.

4. A heat exchange device adapted for use with a lubricating system of an internal combustion engine and comprising, a cylindrical casing provided with a tapered extension terminating in a coupling portion of reduced cross sectional area, a partition wall at both ends of said cylindrical portion forming an oil compartment, said casing having oil inlet and outlet openings communicating with said compartment, flattened air conducting tubes extending through said compartment, and a filter within said extension for cleaning the air.

5. A heat exchange device adapted for use with a lubricating system of an internal combustion engine and comprising, a casing structure containing an oil cooling instru- III mentality, means for conducting oil to said oil cooling instrumentality, said oil cooling instrumentality being adapted to receive air in association therewith for efiecting a heat transfer between said oil and air, and means within said casing structure for cleaning the air.

6. A heat exchange device adapted for use with a lubricating system of an internal combusti on engine having a carburetor and comprising a casing structure, an oil cooling instrumentality within said casing structure, means for conducting oil to said oil cooling instrumentality, said oil cooling instrumentality being adapted to receive air in association therewith for effecting a heat transfer between said oil and air and to deliver said air to the carburetor, and means within said casing structure for cleaning the air.

7. A unitary heat exchange device adapted for use with a lubricating system of an internal combustion engine and comprising, an oil cooling instrumentality provided with an oil inlet and outlet, said oil cooling instrumentality adapted to receive air in association therewith for effecting a heat transfer between said oil and air, and an air cleaning instrumentality cooperatively associated therewith.

8. A heat exchange device adapted for use with a lubricating system of an internal combustion engine and comprising, a casing structure provided with an oil compartment and oil inlet and outlet openings communieating with said compartment, flattened air conducting tubes extending through said compartment, and an air cleaning instrumentality within said casing structure and connected with the air conducting tubes.

9. A unitary heat exchange device adapted for use with a lubricating system of an internal combustion engine having a carburetor and comprising, a casing structure provided with an oil compartment constructed and arranged to receive an oil cooling instrumcntality, said casing structure constructed to support an air cleaning instrumentality adjacent to said oil cooling instrumentality and means for conducting air to said instrumentalities and to said carburetor.

10. A heat exchange device adapted for use with a lubricating system of an internal combustion engine and comprising, a casing provided with an oil compartment having inlet and outlet openings, means for conducting air throughsaid compartment and effecting a heat transfer between the oil and air. and means within the casing for cleaning the air.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ARCHIE MACPHAIL'NIVEN. 

